1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of skylights.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional skylights are typically made of light-transmitting plastic or glass, and have either a planar, tubular, pyramidal, or domed shape.
Skylights are commonly inserted into the roofs of buildings to introduce natural light into the interior of buildings to offset the need for artificial light. Another use for skylights is to permit heat to escape the building.
An example of a typical skylight is a dome-shaped skylight having a 10% rise. Other examples are planar skylights, essentially horizontal windows that may or may not open, and tubular skylights that reflect light down through their tubes and into the rooms below. Examples of a planar skylight are provided by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,874,653 and 4,428,358. Examples of tubular skylights are provided by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,655,339 and 6,178,707.
All of these conventional skylights have inefficiencies and short comings.